FilmIndia (Feb-Dec 1949)

This section is the monopoly of "JUDAS" and he writes what he likes and about things which he likes. The views expressed here are not necessarily ours, but still they carry weight because they are written by a man who knows his job. TIO.NAL BOARD OF CENSORS ! The news that the Government of India have arm■ themselves with powers to centralize film censorship h a view to achieve uniformity of censorship has ne none too soon. We have been asking for this for last 15 years and though we did not expect much m our erstwhile foreign rulers, our only regret is that took 17 months of our independence and no end of ■suasion and propaganda for our own ministers to lize the pressing need of this measure. So far the different provincial ministers have been trcising their autonomous powers with almost vindic; individualism and we have often seen the disgust;ly amusing spectacle of a film, banned in one proce for substantial reasons of its being anti-social, ining in other provinces with impunity carrying its d of crime, sex perversions and other anti-social as:ts of life. At least in the field of films not much of co-ordinan in common ideals was found among the different >vinces and the cunning film producers took full ad y and graceful, Cuckoo provides some dancing entertainnt in "Aahuti" or "Anokhi Qurbani" produced by Sansar Movietone Ltd. vantage of this defect in the different Congress administrations in India. The distributors of foreign pictures particularly preferred to get their pictures censored in Calcutta for some mysterious reasons and kept clear of the Bombay Board of Film Censors which had become too alert and watchful to suit the designs of these foreign distributors. Y\ e suggest that the new centralized organization for censoring films should be named "The National Board of Censors"' and located in Bombay. The following suggestions we hope will be useful in the formation and working of the new Board of Censors: 1. Bombay, being the largest centre of indigenous motion picture production and the main port for importing foreign films remains the only convenient place for all producers and distributors including those from Madras and Calcutta. 2. The present Code of Production as adopted by the Government of Bombay should be made more comprehensive to include cultural censorship of films suited to our future national ideals and past religious and cultural traditions. 3. The Board should eniiase competent examiners havins excellent knowledge of the following languages: English. Hindustani. Tamil. Marathi. Gujarati. Telugu Kanarese. Bengali and Punjabi. At least two examiners in each language are necessary, till such time as pictures in provincial languages are being produced. 4. The Board should stop gradually the production of films in India in any other language except in Hindustani to harness fully the medium of the film for spreading the national language. 5. The Board should consist of at least 20 honorary members each knowing at least two languages and each member should be paid at least Hs. 30| per film examined by the full Board or its Sub-Committee members. 6. A precise procedure of censorship of films from their primary censorship by the permanent examiners to the stage of examination by the full Board should be laid down, so that the producers know what is expected of them. A final appeal should lie with a minister of State specially empowered to gi\e an executive decision in the event of the full Board s decision not being acceptable either to the producer or to the people. 7. The members of the Board should be appointed for a period of 5 years and given a special training in evaluating pictures from all possible angles. Occasional lectures by well-known film critics or the latest literature on films and their social values can be immenselv useful to broaden the outlook of the members of the Board. The selection of merely highly educated persons is not enough for censoring films. Film censorship needs specialized talent. As we have said before: "Censoring 9